The First 100 Most Commonly Used English Words
These most commonly used words are ranked by frequency. The first 25 make up about one-third of all printed material in English. The first 100 make up about one-half of all written material, and the first 300 make up about sixty-five percent of all written material in English.
The First Hundred1. the
2. of
3. and
4. a
5. to
6. in
7. is
8. you
9. that
10. it
11. he
12. was
13. for
14. on
15. are
16. as
17. with
18. his
19. they
20. I / 21. at
22. be
23. this
24. have
25. from
26. or
27. one
28. had
29. by
30. word
31. but
32. not
33. what
34. all
35. were
36. we
37. when
38. your
39. can
40. said / 41. there
42. use
43. an
44. each
45. which
46. she
47. do
48. how
49. their
50. if
51. will
52. up
53. other
54. about
55. out
56. many
57. then
58. them
59. these
60. so / 61. some
62. her
63. would
64. make
65. like
66. him
67. into
68. time
69. has
70. look
71. two
72. more
73. write
74. go
75. see
76. number
77. no
78. way
79. could
80. people / 81. my
82. than
83. first
84. water
85. been
86. call
87. who
88. oil
89. its
90. now
91. find
92. long
93. down
94. day
95. did
96. get
97. come
98. made
99. may
100. part
The Second Hundred
101. over
102. new
103. sound
104. take
105. only
106. little
107. work
108. know
109. place
110. year
111. live
112. me
113. back
114. give
115. most
116. very
117. after
118. thing
119. our
120. just / 121. name
122. good
123. sentence
124. man
125. think
126. say
127. great
128. where
129. help
130. through
131. much
132. before
133. line
134. right
135. too
136. mean
137. old
138. any
139. same
140. tell / 141. boy
142. follow
143. came
144. want
145. show
146. also
147. around
148. form
149. three
150. small
151. set
152. put
153. end
154. does
155. another
156. well
157. large
158. must
159. big
160. even / 161. such
162. because
163. turn
164. here
165. why
166. ask
167. went
168. men
169. read
170. need
171. land
172. different
173. home
174. us
175. move
176. try
177. kind
178. hand
179. picture
180. again / 181. change
182. off
183. play
184. spell
185. air
186. away
187. animal
188. house
189. point
190. page
191. letter
192. mother
193. answer
194. found
195. study
196. still
197. learn
198. should
199. America
200. world
The Third Hundred
201. high
202. every
203. near
204. add
205. food
206. between
207. own
208. below
209. country
210. plant
211. last
212. school
213. father
214. keep
215. tree
216. never
217. start
218. city
219. earth
220. eye / 221. light
222. thought
223. head
224. under
225. story
226. saw
227. left
228. don't
229. few
230. while
231. along
232. might
233. close
234. something
235. seem
236. next
237. hard
238. open
239. example
240. begin / 241. life
242. always
243. those
244. both
245. paper
246. together
247. got
248. group
249. often
250. run
251. important
252. until
253. children
254. side
255. feet
256. car
257. mile
258. night
259. walk
260. white / 261. sea
262. began
263. grow
264. took
265. river
266. four
267. carry
268. state
269. once
270. book
271. hear
272. stop
273. without
274. second
275. later
276. miss
277. idea
278. enough
279. eat
280. face / 281. watch
282. far
283. Indian
284. really
285. almost
286. let
287. above
288. girl
289. sometimes
290. mountain
291. cut
292. young
293. talk
294. soon
295. list
296. song
297. being
298. leave
299. family
300. it's
The Fourth Hundred
301. body
302. music
303. color
304. stand
305. sun
306. questions
307. fish
308. area
309. mark
310. dog
311. horse
312. birds
313. problem
314. complete
315. room
316. knew
317. since
318. ever
319. piece
320. told / 321. usually
322. didn't
323. friends
324. easy
325. heard
326. order
327. red
328. door
329. sure
330. become
331. top
332. ship
333. across
334. today
335. during
336. short
337. better
338. best
339. however
340. low / 341. hours
342. black
343. products
344. happened
345. whole
346. measure
347. remember
348. early
349. waves
350. reached
351. listen
352. wind
353. rock
354. space
355. covered
356. fast
357. several
358. hold
359. himself
360. toward / 361. five
362. step
363. morning
364. passed
365. vowel
366. true
367. hundred
368. against
369. pattern
370. numeral
371. table
372. north
373. slowly
374. money
375. map
376. farm
377. pulled
378. draw
379. voice
380. seen / 381. cold
382. cried
383. plan
384. notice
385. south
386. sing
387. war
388. ground
389. fall
390. king
391. town
392. I'll
393. unit
394. figure
395. certain
396. field
397. travel
398. wood
399. fire
400. upon
The Fifth Hundred
401. done
402. English
403. road
404. halt
405. ten
406. fly
407. gave
408. box
409. finally
410. wait
411. correct
412. oh
413. quickly
414. person
415. became
416. shown
417. minutes
418. strong
419. verb
420. stars / 421. front
422. feel
423. fact
424. inches
425. street
426. decided
427. contain
428. course
429. surface
430. produce
431. building
432. ocean
433. class
434. note
435. nothing
436. rest
437. carefully
438. scientists
439. inside
440. wheels / 441. stay
442. green
443. known
444. island
445. week
446. less
447. machine
448. base
449. ago
450. stood
451. plane
452. system
453. behind
454. ran
455. round
456. boat
457. game
458. force
459. brought
460. understand / 461. warm
462. common
463. bring
464. explain
465. dry
466. though
467. language
468. shape
469. deep
470. thousands
471. yes
472. clear
473. equation
474. yet
475. government
476. filled
477. heat
478. full
479. hot
480. check / 481. object
482. am
483. rule
484. among
485. noun
486. power
487. cannot
488. able
489. six
490. size
491. dark
492. ball
493. material
494. special
495. heavy
496. fine
497. pair
498. circle
499. include
500. built